FAST FORWARD

Film buff Hamish becomes a hero of sorts when he is chosen by the power of the Vidz to fight evil. Hamish is miserably friendless, even though he’s learning to be a filmmaker at Capra Video High School. A magical DVD brings Hamish into the stock fantasy world of the Vidz, where he must fight “the universal bad guy.” In prose, storyboards, and script form, Hamish’s adventure unfolds. Embodied in his alter ego, Sir Hamish, he saves the kingdom, defeats the evil counselor, and makes friends with two other magically transported Capra students. Back at school, the three heroes defeat the more mundane wickedness of the school bursar. The clever concept is marred by Hamish’s uninspired portrayal; he’s an exceedingly passive protagonist who succeeds through reaction, assistance, and the magical memories of Sir Hamish. Even his coming-of-age moment—the realization that it’s better to live his own life than stay in the Vidz world—is forced by magical interference, and doesn’t come from within. A pity, as this would have been entertaining. (Fiction. 9-13)